Senior year feels so far away — until it isn’t anymore. One day we’re walking in with our backpacks bigger than us, and the next we’re walking off the stage with a cap, gown, and diploma. As seniors prepare to say their last goodbyes the halls feel different. Buzzing with excitement, but also nostalgia and sadness. With graduation coming just around the corner, and finals approaching rapidly, all students are beginning to finish off the school year and get ready for break.

For many seniors, this time of the year is filled with a mix of emotions. There’s excitement on the opportunities moving forward and looking towards the future for what’s to come. On the other hand, they’re the pressure of growing up and moving on, as well as leaving behind routines and even some friendships

While speaking to some seniors we’ve seen some of their thoughts on moving forward. Breanna Prugar, a student athlete, expresses her feelings on her last year of high school before moving on to college. Brie says that after high school, she is most excited to, “go to college, make new friends, study something I like, and to compete on the track and field team”. She says she is going to miss her friends and also volleyball season. Brie says her plans after high school are, “to go to Kutztown University and I’m going to become a physical therapist”. She says that some things that were different than she expected about senior year was that it wasn’t as easy as she thought. She also says it was hard to “figure out” the rest of your life. Her favorite thing about this year was volleyball season and all the “lasts”, as well as being on prom court. As we can see there’s a lot of things to miss and love about high school, but some things about the future make it worth moving on to your adult life.

While reflecting on their best moments of high school, seniors typically highlight things like events, sports, friendships, and small everyday moments. At the same time, the things that they say they won’t be missing include things like academic pressure, early mornings, stress, and typical drama. Although these things made school a little harder, it shaped these students to who they are now and will continue to influence them throughout the rest of their lives.

College commitments have also been a big part of our seniors’ lives recently. These decisions ultimately affect the rest of their lives, paving the way for their future careers and relationships. Whether it’s pursuing a team sport into college or building onto your academic skills, both help students work towards building their independence and opening a new chapter of their life.

Seeing all the seniors post their college commitment pictures on Instagram with their new school merch makes everything feel all that more real. It’s crazy to think about how much their daily routines are about to change next semester when they move into dorms and start completely fresh. Some of my older friends are packing up their rooms and planning road trips, while others are trying to squeeze in every last minute with their childhood friends before everyone scatters across the country. Even though they are stressed about packing and leaving home, you can tell they are also super excited to finally have independence and start a new chapter of their lives.

As a sophomore watching them go, it definitely makes me look at my own high school experience a lot differently. It feels like just yesterday we were lost freshmen trying to find our classrooms, and now we are already halfway through high school. Seeing the seniors get ready to graduate reminds me that time goes by way faster than we think, so we should probably stop complaining about the little things, take a moment, and appreciate all the memories we still have yet to make. It makes me want to actually appreciate the regular school days, Friday night games, and hanging out in the hallways before our own graduation countdown begins.